


How I Pictured You

by AtrociouslyFailing



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bad Flirting, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Dreams, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Model Lance, Photographer Keith, non-binary Pidge, preexisting relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-11-15 11:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11229735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtrociouslyFailing/pseuds/AtrociouslyFailing
Summary: Keith did a double take at seeing the rather small person who marched in before his dark eyes settled on the taller that they were dragging behind them. His world narrowed down to that single body. His lips parted in awe as he drank in caramel skin and ocean blue eyes.Lance started to laugh, but it died in his throat as he, finally, caught sight of what he had missed seeing completely in the lobby. Shiro stood behind Pidge in the doorway, and, next to him, stood an unfamiliar face. Dark eyes shifted as they checked out the room. As Hunk finally recovered and turned on the photography lights, those eyes glinted and, briefly, shined violet. Lance squinted at that, trying to determine if he was seeing correctly when, quite suddenly, the lights went out with a spark.-----Lance is a model for the ever-popular fashion magazineAltearun by the co-presidents of the deceased legend Alfor's modeling company, Allura and Coran........and Keith is an up-and-coming photographer.





	1. Chapter 1

A shudder runs down the spine of a bronzed, slim body. He’s dreaming again. A pair of eyes, their hues coated in darkened steel, are the only features of the person before him that he can make out in the inky blackness surrounding him, yet Lance knows, deep in his soul, that, at just the right lighting, they almost appear to be a deep shade of violet. If only he could see just a little more of this person that haunts his dreams! Then, maybe, he could find this breathtaking set of eyes. A thrill ran through his sleeping mind at the thought of seeing them in person.

_ One day, _ a voice in his mind supplies. How tender and sincere it sounds! Lance’s heart sang at the simple words. His soulmate hardly spoke in these dreams, but Lance didn’t mind. He could speak enough for the both of them. He opened his mouth to do just that when he was violently ripped out of the dream. 

His blue eyes flew open, his arms flailing as he fell out of his bed. He yelped as he hit the floor before groaning at the dull pain throbbing in his shoulder. Pidge stood over him with their arms crossed. Lance sat up and lifted his hands to wipe the sleep out of his eyes, “Pidge? What’re you doing in my apartment?”

His hands were quickly slapped away from his face. He hissed at the split second of pain. Right. He’d bruise his eyes doing that. Pidge tutted before answering him, “Allura was worried you were going to be late again. Seeing as how you were still asleep when I got here, her worry seems pretty justified to me. Should I remind you what happened last time you were late to a shoot?”

Lance gaped at them before scrambling to stand up, “No! That’s okay! Won’t happen again.”

Pidge sat on the edge of his bed as Lance flurried around his room getting dressed, hardly batting an eye as the model started changing. They sighed out, “Whatever, Lance. Just hurry up. Losing daylight and all that.”

Finally dressed in a loose, black sweater and form-fitting jeans, Lance made his way into the bathroom to brush his teeth and apply moisturizer. Right as he finished applying lotion to his face, Pidge walked in. They grabbed his elbow and dragged him out of the apartment, Lance’s set of keys and his phone already in their free hand. They shut and locked the door behind them once they stepped out. Lance took his phone from Pidge and shoved it into his pocket, following them. Despite how fast they were walking, he easily kept up due to his long legs. He relaxed as they continued down the stairwell towards the entrance to his apartment building, “So, what’s the theme today, Pidge?”

“Oceanic demi-god,” they stated flatly.

“Sweet!” Lance grinned broadly, “This is gonna be awesome, then.”

Pidge rolled their eyes, “It’s going to be cheesy as hell.”

He snorted out a short laugh in response, “You’ll change your mind when my pictures come out.”

“Wanna bet on that?” raising a brow, Pidge slowed their pace just a tad.

Lance second guessed himself, “Uh… no. No, I don’t. Not after last time. Nope. Nuh-uh. Let’s just get to the shoot.”

Pidge laughed, “That’s what I thought, beach boy.”

Lance stuck his tongue out childishly as they walked out into the bright sunlight of high noon. The model winced. Pidge dug a pair of sunglasses out of their jacket and passed the pair to him. He took it gratefully and slipped them on, “Thanks, Pidge. I can always count on you.”

“If you didn’t forget them so often, you wouldn’t have to count on me. Or anyone for that matter,” Pidge huffed and led him to a taxi that was waiting for them. Lance slipped into the back seat after they got in. He shut the door and slipped on his seatbelt. It took a couple of prods of his finger into Pidge’s side to get them to do the same, but they buckled up as well with a roll of their eyes and a spat out,  _ “Stop that! You’re not my dad.” _

Lance laughed as the taxi eased out into the flow of traffic smoothly. He couldn’t really explain it exactly, but he could feel it in his bones. Today was just going to be one of those days that watered his crops and warmed his skin. After all, what could possibly ruin such a beautiful day?


	2. Chapter 2

Keith woke, the remnants of that wicked sharp smile having faded out from the dream all too quickly. Glancing around, he found he had fallen asleep in the passenger seat of Shiro's pick up. He checked his watch before opening the door and getting out, "Shiro?"

 "Yeah?" Keith turned around. Shiro hefted a duffel bag over his shoulder from the bed of the truck.

"How long was I out for?"

Shiro shut the tailgate, the thud of it echoing inside the parking garage they were in, "About fifteen minutes?"

 "Only fifteen?" a frown tugged at the corner of the young photographer's mouth. He shut the vehicle door after he pulled out his much smaller camera bag.

Understanding dawned on his mentor's face before he grinned rather wide, "Oh, I see. Your soulmate was there? How'd that go?"

Keith flushed, responding curtly as he averted his gaze, "Fine."

A light laugh bubbled up from Shiro, "You don't have to be embarrassed about it."

"I know... I just," Keith paused, trying to think of the right way to word it, "I like them... I do. Just... Isn't it weird to talk about them like that? I'm not sure if I'm comfortable gushing over someone I've never met..."

"I don't expect you to gush about them, Keith," Shiro's smile turned fond, "Not everyone is Hunk. Speaking of Hunk..."

Keith slumped against the truck with a groan, "I'm going back to sleep."

Laughing, Shiro started strolling towards the garage's elevators, "Cut the act. You love hearing him talk, but, if you insist, that's just more of those homemade brownies for the rest of us."

Keith immediately straightened and jogged to catch up. Once they were inside the elevator, he muttered with an overly serious expression, "Those brownies are to die for."

"They are," agreed Shiro, an amused tilt to his lips.

The elevators opened up to reveal the gorgeous, open sky walk leading into _Altean Modeling, LLC_. Pink amaryllis, white lilies, and multi-colored snapdragons filled the flowerbeds lining the walkway.  Keith let out a low whistle, stepping out of the elevator. Shiro led the way as Keith followed behind. The view of the city was gorgeous from up there. The beach could be clearly seen from where they were. Keith let his eyes run along the coast line for a moment before they reached the end of the walk. Shiro held the door for him as they entered the secondary lobby. The inside was just as incredible as the walkway. Clean, marble flooring and sun roof lighting greeted them along with the rush of cool air from the A/C. Potted plants were tastefully placed, and the sleek, black furniture looked to be made of leather. Hunk lounged by the receptionist's desk, talking to a tall, willowy blonde sitting behind it. The mocha skinned woman glanced over at them and gave them a seductive smile, "Hey there, boys."

Hunk turned to face them, his back to her, before rolling his eyes at her. Shiro simply gave her a nod, "Hey."

"Who's the newbie? This that pupil you've been raving about?"

 "Keith, this here is Nyma," Shiro crossed his arms. Keith nodded to her, choosing to stay quiet.

"Oh, the silent type, huh?" Nyma placed her elbows on her desk and leaned forward, setting her head in her hands. A flirty smile graced her lips, "Just my type."

Keith fiddled with the camera bag in his hands, glancing to Shiro briefly, "I uh..."

Hunk cut in, walking over and patting Keith on the shoulder, "It's great to see you again, buddy."

Thankful for the change of conversation, Keith smiled up at him, "Yeah. How's it been going?"

"Great!" Hunk got a glimmer in his eye as he continued, "Guess who I met up with this past weekend."

"Who?"

 _"Shay,"_ he sang, grinning.

Shiro's eyes widened, "The make up artist?"

Keith gaped, "Wow... You've been talking non-stop about her since y'all met."

"That's great, Hunk," Shiro clapped him on the back. They maneuvered away from the door as they continued to converse.

Nyma huffed at being ignored, crossing her arms and slouching back in her chair. Just as Hunk was beginning to describe his date with Shay, the door to the lobby slammed open with a loud bang. They all jumped and turned towards the entrance in shock. Keith did a double take at seeing the rather small person who marched in before his dark eyes settled on the taller that they were dragging behind them. His world narrowed down to that single body. His lips parted in awe as he drank in caramel skin and ocean blue eyes. The boy Keith found himself so fixated on tugged his arm out of the tight grip on it, "Pidge! We're here, dude. Ya don't have to be yanking my arm out of socket anymore. Sheesh!"

"Lance!" Hunk strode forward and picked the boy up in a bear hug. Keith blinked, the trance he had been entrapped in broken.

"Hunk, my man!" Lance hugged him back, "My bro! My broski! Love of my life! Apple of my eye! Hymn singing in my heart!"

"Break it up!" Keith's eyes snapped back to the person who had brought Lance inside at their shout.

Hunk laughed and put Lance down. Lance, however, kept his arms around his best friend's neck. Instead of letting go, he whined, _"But Piiiidge._ "

"Don't "But Pidge!" me! You still have to get to make up!" Pidge put their hands on their hips, glaring up at him.

"Fine. I'll go...but only if Hunk comes with me," Lance tightened his hold.

A small cry of frustration ruptured from Pidge. Hunk easily pried Lance off of him and pushed him away gently. Lance gasped dramatically at this, "Hunk! No! I thought our love was true!"

He turned away and put the back of his hand to his brow before falling back, trusting Hunk to catch him before he hit the floor. And catch him, Hunk did, laughing at his antics before scolding, "Stop that, Lance. Just go get ready. You don't wanna make Allura mad again. Besides, I'll be there anyway."

That seemed to brighten Lance's spirits. He peeked up at Hunk from under his hand and asked, "You're doing the set? My set? Today?"

At Hunk's nod, Lance cheered and balanced back onto his feet before grabbing Pidge's wrist, "What are we waiting for, then? C'mon!"

Pidge yelped as the model yanked them towards the double doors that were located to the right of the receptionist's desk. However, Lance paused at seeing Nyma. He grinned and shot her a wink along with his trademark, sparkling grin, "Hey, beautiful~ Looking good today!"

Nyma scoffed, turning her nose up and away, "Fuck off, McClain."

Lance simply laughed before continuing on his way through the doors with Pidge. Just like that, the whirlwind of life that was, apparently, named Lance McClain was gone from the room. Keith blinked, slightly overwhelmed, "What the fuck just happened?"


	3. Chapter 3

Pidge left as soon as Lance was settled down in front of one of the many vanity mirrors lined along the back wall in room 728 of the studio. Lance reached forward and clicked on the vanity's lights, tilting his head this way and that to check out his angles. It wasn't long before a heart-shaped face peered over his shoulder with a smile. A honey sweet voice jested, "Careful, Lance. Someone might mistake you as being conceited."

He laughed, "Wouldn't want that!"

The burly woman laughed, the sound, surprisingly, pleasant. Lance studied her for a moment through the mirror before swiveling his chair around, "Did you get a haircut?"

"What gave it away?" Shay smiled, brushing a delicate strand of hair out of her face. Her hair, having once hung in wavy, chocolate curls to her shoulders, now, cupped her face in a straight, stylish bob. She bit her plush, bottom lip as Lance studied her before mumbling shyly, "Does it look alright?"

Lance took a moment to stare at her in feigned shock before letting out a loud whistle and crying out, _"Alright?!"_

Turning his chair back around, he slumped over the vanity, some of the bottles and containers of various beauty products clinking and sliding together as he did so. He groaned, "It looks gorgeous! _God,_ Shay. Just take my job!"

Cheeks reddening, Shay pressed her hands to them with a pleased grin, "Oh, hush you!"

Almost as an afterthought, she reached forward and tugged him into sitting back in his chair, "Sit up before you break something."

Lance allowed a grin to climb back on his face, "It's hot when you manhandle me."

"It's not when you talk like that," Shay stated dryly, trying and failing to wipe her own grin away.

"I'm wounded. Hunk wouldn't hurt me like this."

Laughter spilled from her once more before she forced his chair around and started getting to work. He continued to playfully flirt as she dolled him up, but Lance obediently allowed her to manipulate his body to allow her to apply whatever he needed for the day's shoot. He mock-stuttered when she had him remove his shirt, so she could start on the body paint. She rolled her eyes at that, telling him to cut the act. After all, undressing around her wasn't exactly a new experience. They have been working together for a couple of months now. He stood there, slightly shivering due to the chill of the air conditioning being pumped through a nearby vent.

For once, he was quiet, eyes following her neat brush strokes as blue stained his skin. Waves and sunlight were painted down his back. She wrapped storms around his left bicep, travelling the angry, dark clouds up the side of his neck. He marveled at how well the colors contrasted against his sun kissed skin. For his right arm, Shay painted simple black bands, linking them with red strikes. Lance's blue eyes traveled to the artist's face. Shay's lips were parted in concentration, her amber brown eyes focused only on the task at hand. She cleaned the brush off before beginning to contour the dips and curves of his torso. His stomach sucked in when she got to it, a squeak leaving him. Shay blinked out of her creative trance. Her eyes slowly trailed up to him since she was, by now, kneeling on the floor. A frown touched her lips, "Don't. Move."

"It tickles," Lance mumbled before swallowing another, totally manly, giggle as the brush feathered over his skin once more.

"Lance, I swear, I will have you strapped down," she hissed as he flinched again.

A laugh broke free, "Kinky."

Her eyes bulged comically at his response, _"LANCE!"_

The artist stood and smacked his paint free shoulder, her whole face red. He wheezed, not able to stop laughing now. He choked out between fits, "I'm sorry!"

Soon, her shoulders shook with her own restrained amusement, his laughter contagious. She pressed a hand to her face as she giggled, "I can't believe you right now."

"I see I missed something," a third voice startled them. The laughter cut off immediately. Allura rose a delicately arched brow at them before questioning, "He's not done yet?"

"I-it's-" Shay started to explain.

"My bad," Lance stepped in, "I'll let her finish."

"Please hurry. Hunk will be wheeling in the props soon. I want that paint dry and make up set before the lighting's set up," Allura spoke to Shay, her tone kindly. Lance casually checked her out, spacing as she continued speaking. They didn't call her the "Princess of Altea" for no reason after all. She looked like a living, breathing goddess. Her box braids were tied back away from her face with a loose, pale pink ribbon today. A thin finger lifted to press lightly at the top lashes of her right eye. It's a tick he's noticed she's recently developed due to work-induced stress. He'd have to try and remember to get her a gift card to the spa or something. His eyes lowered to the short, white lace dress she chose to wear today, seeing her toned legs on display due to the dress cutting off mid-thigh. The sleeves of the dress, however, were long. Though, her dark shoulders were left bare by the collar of the garment. A snap of her fingers in his face stopped his staring. He felt embarrassment tinge his cheeks.

"She's done," Allura pointed out as Shay cut off the vanity's light.

Lance looked down at himself, surprised, "Oh..."

A snort from Hunk brought the man's presence to Lance's attention. When had he gotten here? It seemed like it's been a minute since Hunk was already almost done with setting up the fake shoreline. Looking over the props, Lance internally wept at not being able to have this shoot on the actual beach. He pouted, "You didn't even say hi? Cold..."

"I did," Hunk smirked knowingly over his shoulder at him, "You didn't respond."

His best friend, then, proceeded to pointedly look towards Allura, who was now striding from the room in all her majestic glory. Lance was so glad for the make up caked on his face. His face would be so red right now. He, instead, opted to gasp loudly, "I'm so sorry! I'll never forgive myself for this slight on our friendship. However shall I make it up to you?"

The man's grin grew at that, "You could start by actually waking up and coming to work on your own."

"But, Hunk! Pidge would be out of the job then!"

"Oh, fuck you!" Pidge spat, having picked up their conversation as they walked through the door. Hunk doubled over laughing. Lance started to laugh, but it died in his throat as he, finally, caught sight of what he had missed seeing completely in the lobby. Shiro stood behind Pidge in the doorway, and, next to him, stood an unfamiliar face. Dark eyes shifted as they checked out the room. As Hunk finally recovered and turned on the photography lights, those eyes glinted and, briefly, shined violet. Lance squinted at that, trying to determine if he was seeing correctly when, quite suddenly, the lights went out with a spark. They all jumped at that. Hunk frowned, "...I'm going to check the fuse box."

"I'll come with you," Pidge volunteered. They let Shiro and Keith through the doorway before exiting with Hunk. Shiro smiled handsomely, "Hey, Lance."

Lance recovered quickly and shot finger guns at the photographer, grinning, "Hey~"

The mystery person at Shiro's side furrowed their brows with an almost questioning expression, but whatever question they may have had, they didn't voice it. Shiro continued on, not seeing his companion's look, "As soon as Hunk and Pidge fix the lights issue, we'll get started."

 "Cool beans," Lance dropped his hands to his side, "So, uh, who's the friend?"

"Oh, right! I forgot to introduce you two earlier," Shiro clapped a hand on the stranger's shoulder, "This is Keith. He's going to be learning the ropes from me."

"Earlier?"

Keith looked offended at Lance's question, "I was sta _nding right there. In the lobby?"_

Lance pursed his lips and tapped them with a finger as his eyes rolled up in thought, "Hmm... Nope. Can't recall seeing you there, bud."

The other gaped at him, but Lance just shrugged nonchalantly, "Must've been too swept up in my burning love for Hunk."

"Damn right you were," Hunk threw a grin his way as he walked back into the room, Pidge rolling their eyes behind him. He walked over to the lights and tried them again. They lit up without a hitch this time around. Lance whooped, "Way to go, guys!"

Without another glance to Keith, he bounded over to his friend to get a closer look at the set now that his paint was dry. Pidge went and fetched the costume cart from the corner, dragging it over to Lance. Lance slipped out of his shoes and socks before dropping his pants unabashedly. He took the sheet of dark cloth Pidge handed him and wrapped it around his waist, tying it at his hip. Pidge smacked his hands away, clearly not happy with how he did it, and fixed the wrap themself. They chose to loop it in such a way that the fabric hung like a curtain in the front, the rest of the wrap hugging his thighs and backside. Pidge smiled, "Better."

"Ready, Lance?" Shiro asked, having just finished setting up the last of his cameras. A smaller one hung around his neck.

"You know it!" Lance started to step onto the set but was yanked back by Pidge, "Aw, Pidge. What is it?"

Pidge tutted and snapped some golden bracelets around his wrists and ankles. Then, they draped a golden chain lined with shark teeth around his neck. At their nod, Lance was allowed to take his place on set. He took a deep breath and worked his magic.


	4. Chapter 4

Keith stood by as Shiro started snapping pictures, mesmerized. He couldn't fathom how a person's whole demeanor could change that quickly. At first, Lance was this whirlwind of obnoxious flirting and dorky smiles. Now, before the lights of the flashing cameras, this man was someone else entirely. His whole face was schooled into a look of complete indifference. His movements and poses that of grace and marvelous beauty. He looked every inch the demigod he was supposed to be for this shoot. Shiro hardly had to give him direction. Lance just seemed to preemptively know what it was his photographer wanted.

Hunk worked on changing the background screen every ten or twenty shots while Pidge changed the lighting based on the background chosen by Hunk. They all worked seamlessly with each other. The teamwork was admirable. The last scene had to be Keith's favorite. Lance stood on his knees before a gorgeous oil painting of lightning cracking over a raging, black ocean. The lights were darkened to carry the stormy look over the props. His head was tilted to the side to expose Shay's storm clouds that she had painted over his shoulder and neck. His hands slowly slid into his hair and gripped as he let distress cover his expression. Pidge flipped on a fan and positioned it to where it whipped through the wrap around the model's waist. Keith stared over Shiro's shoulder at the display screen on the camera. Without thinking, he breathed, "Woah..."

"Yeah. He's good, huh?" Shiro whispered with a chuckle, "Don't let him see you ogling. It'll go right to his head. Do me a favor, and check the computer. Make sure these pictures are transferring over correctly."

"On it," Keith turned away and walked over to the cart holding the mentioned computer. He clicked the arrow keys, counting the pictures and making sure they were all clear. He, distantly, heard Shiro tell Lance that he was good for a break before an odd warmth invaded his personal space. His eyes snapped to the source of it to see Lance leaning over his shoulder to study the screen, almost touching him but not quite. Keith's fingers faltered, "Can you not...?"

Blue eyes blinked owlishly before turning their attention to him. Lance stepped away, "Oh, sorry. Just wanted to see."

"It's fine," Keith muttered, returning to his task. The presence at his side left. A frown touched his lips. He didn't mean to run the model off. Shiro did say he needed to work on his people skills. He kept clicking through the hundred frames, slower this time. However, he was surprised by Lance returning to his side with a plate. Keith turned his head to look at him incredulously as Lance offered the plate to him.

He was met with a grin, "Brownie?"

Dark eyes immediately dropped their gaze to the plate. Keith took one of the squares with careful fingers, "Thanks... These from Hunk?"

"Yeah," Lance's smile grew as he picked up a brownie himself and stuffed it in his mouth. Keith made a face at the way the other ate but took a bite out of his own brownie. He proceeded to melt internally at the wonderful, chocolaty flavor that sung over his tastebuds. A noise must've left him unnoticed, for Lance was now staring at him. Keith blinked when he noticed the stare.

He swallowed the bite before grumbling, "What?"

"I was wondering if you make that noise in bed too," Lance's nostrils flared slightly, another smile twitching at the corner of his mouth as if he was holding back laughter.

Keith felt his fist ball up in response, ready to knock the model over the head, but then, Shiro stepped between them. His mentor frowned at Lance, who was now laughing openly, "Lance, no."

"I think you mean, "Lance, yes,"" the model's grin was devious. Keith's fist unclenched, relaxing, as that smirk ensnared his attention. He could've sworn he's seen it before. That feeling of familiarity settled low in his chest and squeezed the air from his lungs. The conversation continued without his mind's presence. He furrowed his brows as he tried to remember where he's seen Lance before. No, he just met the guy today. There's no way he would've seen this guy before and just forget. Would he? He was shaken from his thoughts as Shiro clapped his shoulder.

"Right, Keith?"

"Huh?" he responded unintelligibly.

Lance snorted at this, a smirk lacing his lips, "Shiro was telling me about your previous work. Should've taken you as a landscape, hipster kind of guy."

"What?"

"You haven't only ever worked with scenery shots before?"

"I mean, yeah, that's true," Keith's mouth twisted into a slight frown as he crossed his arms, "What about it?"

"I was telling Lance that you expressed interest in working with human subjects, so I had offered to teach you," Shiro spoke up, squeezing Keith's shoulder gently with mild concern creased throughout his expression, "Right?"

"Right," Keith confirmed after a moment before changing the subject, "The pictures came through correctly."

"That's great," Shiro's hand slipped away as he turned to the computer, taking a moment to flip through a few, "Did you see them yet, Lance?"

"A bit. Lemme see the rest," Lance bounced at the chance to really see how his pictures came out.

Keith ate the rest of his brownie before wandering away from the two. He started to head towards Hunk but paused at seeing he was talking with Shay. He didn't want to interrupt the two. Not everyone gets to meet their soulmate like they have. There's only so much one is able to get across in dreams. Dreams are fractured and hard to decipher. Even something as easy as conversation can come through incoherent, which is why most people don't just ask for names or to meet up. Scientists studying the soulmate link haven't made a breakthrough on why it is the dreams refuse to translate certain bytes of information like that. It's made even harder on them since connected soulmates no longer dream of each other, making proper testing between linked soulmates near impossible. Keith, personally, couldn't imagine not dreaming of his soulmate anymore. However, he guessed that, when you have them right next to you, the dreams probably just aren't needed any longer.

So, Keith left the two to it, turning instead to talk to Pidge. He strode over, seeing they were tucking into the pan of brownies as if they were going out of style. He stopped a couple feet from them and cleared his throat nervously, "Uh, hey."

Pidge looked up, swallowing before holding out their hand, "Hey. Keith, right?"

Keith took their hand and shook it briefly, letting go, "Yeah, and you're Pidge?"

"Yep," they gave him a pleased smile, "How was your first time seeing a set?"

"Overwhelming," Keith relaxed a bit as they eased into casual conversation.

Pidge laughed shortly, "You get used to it. I'm sure it was even more so than what would be classified as "normal" since it's Lance you're working with today. I, on the other hand, am completely used to him and his constant failure at flirting."

"Oh, thank whatever higher being exists," Keith joked, "You're telling me models don't normally act like that?"

"No. Lance is... yeah. He's something else, alright. Wouldn't have him any other way though, honestly. Last guy I worked with was a total tool."

"What exactly do you do here?" Keith questioned, curious.

"My side job is to keep an eye that guy. Basically, I'm a glorified babysitter. Well, model sitter in this case?" they gestured towards Lance before grabbing another brownie, "As for what I was actually hired for? I help Hunk with working on the tech, and I ghostwrite on the social media accounts. If Allura's having trouble keeping up with editing, I'll help out with that, too, on my downtime."

"Wow," a whistle breezed past Keith's lips, "Sounds like a handful."

"Nah," Pidge shrugged, "The only handful I really have is dealing with Lance, but even he's not too bad. It's all in how you handle him."

"Oh, are you two...?" Keith crossed his arms defensively, not sure how to ask without crossing some unseen line.

"Are we...?" they squinted before getting the idea, _"Oh!_ No! Ew, no. We're not soulmates."

A sense of relief fluttered through Keith, puzzling him, "Oh, sorry. I just felt I had to ask."

"No. No. It's chill. You'd be surprised how often we get asked that actually. What about you and Shiro?"

And just like that, his previous puzzlement over his weird feelings flew out the window, "Hell no. He's like a brother to me."

Pidge laughed, "Good to know. You kind of came out of nowhere on our end, so I had to ask. Shiro's rejected anyone else who's asked to have him mentor them."

"I didn't really ask," Keith smiled a bit, "He offered. To be fair, we've been friends for some time."

"Really? How long?"

His nose scrunched up a bit as he thought, "I think about... eight years now?"

"And he's just brought you to meet us? I ought to hop up and smack him. He's been friends with my older brother, Matt, since diapers."

"Wait, you know Matt?"

"Wait... _You_ know Matt?! Shiro!"

Laughter spilled out of Keith as Pidge marched over to Shiro to demand answers. Lance slinked over as Pidge took Shiro's full attention. He picked up another brownie, raising a brow at Keith, "What's so funny?"

Keith simply shook his head, not feeling up to striking up a conversation with the model at the moment. He grimaced as Lance shoved the whole square of brownie in his mouth. Though, Keith was glad that the other didn't push for an answer to his question.


	5. Chapter 5

Lance ended up having to redo a few of the shots, but the majority of them came out flawless. Shay and Pidge helped him clean off the paint and make up after the shoot was over. He thanked them afterwards before grabbing his clothes to change back into. He was just zipping up his pants when Allura buzzed into the room, a phone cradled to her ear as she talked. Figuring she was there for one of the others, he slipped on his sweater. It wasn't until his head had popped through the hole that Lance saw Allura had made her way to him and was still talking into the phone.

"Just a moment. Please hold," she pressed the phone to her shoulder and took a deep breath, "Lance."

He raised a brow, straightening his top, "Yes, princess?"

"I need you to fill in. Florona's out."

"Is she okay?" Lance asked, stilling.

"She's fine," Allura grit through her teeth.

The model relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief, "Aw, man. I thought she got into an accident or something. She never misses a day."

"Well, from now on, she'll be missing several days," the co-president stated, "She's been fired."

Lance's jaw dropped, "What?"

"If you'd like details, you may contact her yourself, but right now, are you able to take her place?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Good. Head down to 413," Allura turned and walked away, placing the phone back to her ear to continue her previous conversation, "I want all the information you have on..."

Lance stared at the doorway she had disappeared through before pulling his phone from his pocket and shooting a quick text to Hunk with the new information. Then, he tucked his phone into his back pocket and headed out room 728, striding down the hall to the elevator. After clicking the calling button, he hooked his hands behind his neck as he waited for the elevator to arrive. His wait was over rather quickly. He dropped his arms and stepped into the elevator right as his phone vibrated. He pulled it back out of his pocket and opened the message: _"lance it was bound to happen sooner or later"_

A frown tugged at the corner of his mouth,  _"wats she gonna do now tho? she needed this job man :("_

_"you can't help everyone buddy"_

Lance breathed out a sigh and leaned back against the elevator wall. His thumb brushed over the fourth floor button. The doors shut with a thud as the elevator thrummed to life. Another text from Hunk dinged from his phone. Blue eyes dropped to read it on his lockscreen:  _"what happens to her now is her problem"_

Without replying, he shoved his phone back into his pocket. The elevator shuddered to a stop before opening its doors. Lance stepped out and made his way down the fluorescent lit hall. He entered studio 413, shoulders slouched, and slumped down at a vanity. The female seated at the vanity next to his turned to him. She pouted and poked his shoulder gently, "Has my beauty waned? Has Lance McClain lost interest in pretty people?"

He sighed, glancing to her. She gasped and put her hands to her cheeks, "What has this world come to?!"

His lip wobbled before a laugh slipped past his lips, "Baby, your beauty could never wane. It's as eternal as the very stars glittering in the night sky."

She smiled and slipped her arms around him in a gentle hug, "There you are~ What's got you down, cupcake?"

Lance sat up a bit more and turned his chair, so he could lean into her embrace, "You hear about Flo yet?"

"Oh," she sighed softly and ran her fingers through his hair soothingly, "Yeah, I did... Want to stop by my place to talk to her after work?"

He pressed his forehead to her slim shoulder and nodded, "If you don't mind?"

"You know you're welcome any time," she tightened her arms around him briefly before pushing him away as gently as she could.

He leaned away from her with a small smile, "Thanks, Plax."

Plaxum leaned forward with a bright smile and planted a kiss to his cheek, "It's no problem."

She leaned back into her chair just as a couple of people entered the room to start on their make up. Lance relaxed in his seat and let the man in charge of his get up do his job with little fuss.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Callused hands handled the camera with a contrasting gentleness. Keith peered through the viewfinder, his teeth catching the inside of his cheek as he focused on the model who stood on the other end. Shiro stood to one side, observing his understudy. A frown tugged at the corner of Keith's mouth, a sign he was displeased with how the model was positioned. He lowered the camera and glanced to his mentor. Said mentor raised his brows and pointedly glanced over to the model. Keith sighed and turned his attention to the woman posed there, "Can you... look down?"

The woman blinked at him before lowering her gaze down towards the floor, "Like this?"

"Almost. It should look as if you were going to look over your shoulder but not quite."

She nodded before her hands slid up her upper arms. She angled her head back and to the side, now looking out of the corner of her eyes. Parting her lips, she let out a soft breath. Keith raised the camera again, "Perfect."

He snapped a couple of pictures before prompting her for a change. Looking to Shiro briefly, he saw that his mentor had a soft smile on his face. Approval. Keith let a smile of his own touch his lips. He was doing well. Pride swelled in his core. He grew more confident in instructing the model as they continued the shoot. He thanked her when they were done, shaking her hand before letting her go to get cleaned up. He made his way to the computer that Shiro was hunched over.

"Not bad," Shiro mused.

"Yeah?" Keith edged in to peek, the other moving over to let him see.

"You're still photographing as if it's scenery, but it doesn't look bad.  You really know how to use lighting to your advantage. However, this isn't scenery work. Don't be afraid to zoom in on the models themselves. That's what they're there for."

"I'll work on it. Thank you, Shiro," Keith straightened up and stretched, "Any more for today?"

"I'll have to check with Coran or Allura," Shiro downloaded the pictures to a pen drive. After it finished, he removed the drive and handed it to Keith, "Can you take these to Pidge?"

"Yeah," Keith looked around the room, "Oh, uh, where is...Pidge?"

Shiro shrugged, "Ask Nyma to check the schedule. She should still be at her desk."

"Okay," Keith tucked the flash drive into his jacket pocket as he made his way out of the room. He took the elevator up to the secondary lobby that was connected to the parking garage. He stepped out onto the floor and had to take a step back instantly. His eyes widened as he leapt backwards. A computer chair zoomed past him, a whoop following with it. He frowned at seeing it was Lance with some other guy. The guy high-fived Lance once the chair slid to a stop. Lance laughed, "That was awesome! Push me back, Rolo, my man."

Rolo spun the chair back around, fully intending to shove it back up the hall with Lance in it. Keith stepped out of the elevator, crossing his arms, "What are y'all doing?"

Lance grinned, casually tucking his hands behind his head and crossing his legs, "Having fun."

Rolo slipped his arms over the chair and around the model seated in it, "Got a problem with it?"

An ugly feeling reared its head in his chest, his eyes dropping to the arms around Lance. Keith ignored it, grey-violet eyes raising to meet Rolo's dark brown, "I might. You two did nearly knock me over coming out of the elevator."

Lance's hands slipped out from behind his head as a sheepish expression fluttered over his features, "Oh, sorry. I didn't even see-"

"You mean four," Rolo cut in, taking his arms back as he straightened to his full height, which was a good head taller than Keith himself.

Keith refused to feel intimidated by the difference, "Four?"

Rolo pointed to the other end of the hall. Keith turned to look. Pidge and Nyma were walking towards them from the other end. Pidge spoke loudly, so the boys could hear them, "What's the hold up?"

They paused as they caught sight of Keith, "Keith? Why aren't you with Shiro?"

"He sent me to give you the pictures from today's shoots," Keith answered, turning towards them as he dug the drive from his pocket.

"You guys are done already?" Pidge took the drive once it was handed to them.

"Some of us have been doing our jobs," Keith huffed.

Pidge cringed at that, tucking the pen drive into their pocket. Lance scrambled out of his chair, glaring, "Hey! It's just a break. What's your damage?"

Keith's attention swiveled back to Lance, "My damage? From what I've seen, it doesn't seem like you take your job seriously. I'm not interested in working with people who can't do something as simple as that."

Pidge shoved her way between them as Lance stepped into his space with clenched fists, "C'mon now, guys."

Blue eyes glanced down to Pidge before a sigh slid from Lance's lips, "Whatever."

Lance took a step back but kept a glare trained on Keith. Keith took in a quiet, deep breath before turning away from him and walking back into the elevator. He pressed the button to shut the doors, but Pidge stopped them from closing. They ran a hand through their hair as they stepped inside, "Sorry... I need to go up a couple of floors to work on the editing."

"It's fine," Keith grumbled, "What floor are you headed to?"

"The eighth."

Keith pressed the eight on the keypad before thumbing the six. The doors closed, and the elevator rose. Once Keith got out on his floor, he waited for the elevator to leave before thumping his head into a wall. He scowled, "I'm such an idiot. What is my _deal?"_


	7. Chapter 7

"What is that guy's deal?" Lance grumbled as he pushed the computer chair back to Nyma's desk.

"He's a tight ass. There's one at every job," Rolo crossed his arms as he walked beside Lance.

"This isn't just a job to me, Rolo. This is my career!" Lance shoved through the double doors and pushed the chair behind the reception desk. He sighed, leaning back against the wall, "Where does he get off saying I don't take it seriously?"

 "Lance," Nyma huffed, brushing past him to plop down into her chair, "Why are you even letting him get to you?"

The model slid his hands into his pockets, "I...I don't know?"

Rolo slung an arm over his shoulders and tugged him close, "Just forget about him. Who's he think he is anyway?"

"You know what?" Lance set his jaw, "You're right."

"You know it," Rolo gave him a wink, "Tell you what. How about I take you out tonight?"

"I'd like that," a smile slipped onto Lance's face, blue eyes raising to meet Rolo's, "but..."

The grin that had started to grow on Rolo's face dropped, "But what?"

"I have plans tonight," Lance shrugged off the arm around his shoulders, "Gotta check up on Florona."

"Oh, right. She got fired," Nyma sighed, rolling her eyes, "Again."

Rolo shoved his hands into his pockets, an irritated tilt to his mouth, "Why even bother?"

Lance's brow furrowed, "What?"

"I'm just saying. You've done a lot for her, and she's gone and dumped it in the trash."

"She needs help."

"Some people can't be helped, Lance."

Lance took a step back, shaking his head, "I'll...talk to you guys later. I gotta go."

"What? Gonna walk away like you always do when you hear something you don't like?" Rolo jeered, leaning his lower back against the receptionist's desk, dark eyes following the model as he began to back away.

Lance chose to ignore him, turning away and striding out of the lobby doors to the outside sky walk. He took a deep breath once the doors closed behind him. Then, he continued towards the parking lot, carding a hand through his hair. Slipping his phone from his pocket, he shot a quick text to Plaxum, _"hey im headed 2 ur place 2 check up on flo"_

It wasn't long before a reply popped up, _"kk! tell her she can help herself to w/e she needs til she's found a new job"_

He smiled down at the text, _"will do boo"_

_"ilu <3"_

_"luv u 2 <3"_

He tucked his phone away, already feeling better. There was a skip to his step as he made his way to another set of elevators that would bring him down to the bottom floor of the parking garage. From there, he would begin the trek to Plaxum's apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

Keith had opened his mouth to stop his model from leaving the set, but Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, effectively quieting him from speaking out against her actions. Plaxum's worried expression turned to a smile as she texted, her blue-green eyes brightening. She set down her phone not too long later and made her way back onto the set, "I'm sorry about that. I was just checking up on Flo. Won't happen again."

"It's alright," Shiro gave her a warm smile, dropping his hand from Keith's shoulder, "Everyone knows that her needs come first for you. It's admirable really."

Plaxum wrung her hands together as she made her way back to the set, "Thank you...but what I do for my sister is just the right thing to do. You, on the other hand, are always so understanding. That's something to really admire."

She quickly moved into her original position, "Okay! I'm ready."

Keith kept quiet as he easily picked up where he had left off with her. Afterwards, however, he couldn't help but question Shiro once they were alone, "She mentioned a "Flo." Is that Florona? I overheard your boss saying she was fired earlier..."

Shiro sighed as he packed up the camera equipment, "Yeah..."

"Lance seemed worried about her earlier..."

His mentor paused at that, looking up at him from where he was kneeling on the floor. Keith watched as a pensive squint came over his features. He avoided direct eye contact, "What?"

"You were watching him?" Shiro questioned slowly.

Turning his back to him, Keith fiddled with the strap on his camera bag, "I just happened to glance at him while heading out of the room..."

"Lance left that room before we did."

Keith felt his cheeks heat up as he hunched his shoulders defensively, "So I'm a bit mixed up on the details. Either way, I just happened to notice the look on his face. That's all."

"You're the worst liar I've ever met, Keith," Shiro chuckled, standing up after zipping up the bag he was packing. He turned to his pupil with his arms crossed, "Do you like him?"

Keith whirled around, spitting out, "No!"

Shiro rose a brow at him, "Then, why would you lie about watching him?"

He watched as the younger man spluttered before hiding his face in his hands and grumbling incoherently. Shiro stepped forward, "What was that?"

Keith took a deep breath and sighed, dragging his hands down his face, "I said... _I don't like him._ It's..."

He dropped his hands from his face only to cross his arms himself, "I can't shake the feeling I've seen him somewhere before, Shiro..."

Shiro's face melted into one of surprise as he dropped his crossed arms to reach out and take ahold of Keith's shoulders, "Do you think...?"

Keith looked up quizzically, "Think what?"

"That- Oh, _I don't know._ \- maybe he's your soulmate?" Shiro offered, keeping his tone gentle.

"What?!" Keith stepped away, holding up his hands, "That guy? No way!"

Shiro recrossed his arms, "Why not?"

"Have you seen that guy?!"

"Well, _duh,_ Keith. I've seen him. I've been his photographer for a little more than a year now."

"He's obnoxious!" Keith groaned, running his fingers through his air in frustration. 

"He's not _that_ bad. Yeah, he flirts a lot, but he's got his heart in the right place and a good head on his shoulders."

"He can be Aphrodite or whatever else for all I care, but he's not my _soulmate_."

"Well, why do you think you've seen him before? _Where_  would you have seen him before?" Shiro threw up his hands, starting to sound a little frustrated himself.

Keith hunched back in on himself, "I don't know... Maybe just...around?"

"You never leave your place," the older photographer deadpanned, "and when you do, it's to run off to places void of civilization. You spent _a year_ in the desert, Keith. Alone. In a shack."

Keith scowled before picking up a couple of their bags, "Whatever. I'm done with this conversation."

Shiro sighed and hefted up the last couple of bags, "Fine. Dropping it for now. Though, I think you should really consider the possibility."

Keith chose not to respond. Instead, he headed out of the room and towards the elevator. He refused to engage in conversation the rest of the way to the parking garage.


	9. Chapter 9

Lance rapped his knuckles against the worn apartment door. As he waited to be let in, his gaze shifted to the peeling, blue paint on the frame that was faded from time. A frown tugged at the corner of his mouth only to be replaced by a bright smile when the door cracked open. Florona peeked out at him, teary eyes sweeping over his face, before shutting the door to unlatch the chain and let him in. He shut the door behind himself after he stepped into the small entry hall. Florona immediately turned away from him, about to walk into the main living space, but Lance caught her arm with a gentle hand, his smile gone. He turned her around and pulled her into a warm embrace, “Hey… It’s going to be okay.”

Her shoulders trembled before a sob wracked it’s way from her small frame, “No it’s not, Lance! I’m such a fuck up.”

“You’re not,” Lance whispered fiercely, hugging her closer and rubbing her back soothingly, “Don’t ever think that about yourself. You’re doing your best.”

“I’ll never-” she choked on her words, crying harder. Her tears soaked into his sweater, but Lance hardly cared. They stayed there until Florona’s crying ceased. Then, he guided her to the couch to sit down. From there, he left her there only to return shortly with a glass of water and some tissues, handing them to her. Florona wiped away her tears, thanking him with a weak smile.

“Drink. Then, we’ll figure out what to do next,” Lance handed her the glass. She took a couple of small sips before setting the glass down. He gave her a soft smile, sitting next to her, “Ready to come up with a new game plan?”

She sighed, wiping at her eyes again, “What’s the point? This is the fifth job I’ve gotten fired from in the last two months…”

“Hey now. No giving up yet,” Lance took her hand and squeezed it gently, “Wanna talk about what happened?”

“I…” Florona swallowed thickly, a tear trailing its way down her cheek once more. Her throat closed up, and she bit into her lower lip.

Lance’s eyes widened slightly, “You didn’t…? Did you?”

He took ahold of her arm and shoved her sleeve up over her elbow. Not finding anything but old scars, he checked her other arm. She wailed when he found the fresher needle marks there, tears freely flowing once more, “I’m sorry!”

Lance pulled her into another hug, shushing her gently and letting her cry it out. He should’ve known she had relapsed, and Allura must’ve found out. He drew in a deep, steadying breath, “Do you want to go back into rehab? We can pool the funds to house you there for a while. Then, we can try again? I’ll look for another job for when you get out?”

“W-what about rent? My sister can’t-” she whimpered, tucking her face in his shoulder.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll help.”

She pulled away to peek up at him, “You helped pay last time though…”

“And I’ll do it again and again until you’re better,” Lance murmured, “Even after you're better. I care about you, Flo. Plax does too. We _want_ to help.”

Florona pulled away from him slowly, “O-okay…”

“How long have you been back on it?” Lance questioned quietly after a moment.

“Two weeks,” she whispered, sniffling.

Lance simply nodded and picked up a pink throw blanket that was draped over the back of the couch, wrapping it around her shoulders, “I’m going to make you something to eat. You just chill here, okay? Tell me if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” she picked up another tissue and blew her nose as he walked into the kitchen.

Later, after Lance got her to eat, he searched Flo’s room and the bathroom, taking any needles, powders, or suspicious bottles he found and tossed them in a trash bin he had tucked under his arm. Florona hovered nervously about as she watched him do this, itching the crease of her elbow periodically. He confirmed with her that that was all there was before going to dump the bin in the dumpster down below the apartment outside.

Plaxum got in an hour after that, immediately dropping her purse on their coffee table in order to hug her sister and press a kiss to her forehead. Florona let herself be held before announcing she was going to bed. Then, Plaxum followed Lance into the kitchen to get caught up on what happened before she’d been able to get here. She worried her lower lip, glancing to her sister’s, now shut, bedroom door before meeting Lance’s eyes, “How did she even get ahold of it again?”

Lance shrugged, “I didn’t ask. It’s not important. Whether she got it off a bum in the street or some rich asshole in a penthouse, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s managed to get back on the stuff.”

Plaxum sighed softly, freeing her lip from her teeth’s abuse, “Right… Back into rehab then.”

“Then, we’ll figure out how to prevent it from happening again when she’s out,” Lance pulled her close, hands on her hips, and pressed his forehead to hers.

She closed her eyes the moment their foreheads met, a smile touching her lips as Lance coaxed her to start swaying in place along with him, “You’re too good, you know that?”

“Nah,” Lance stared into her eyes as she opened them, “You’re the one that’s too good.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he pressed a kiss to her lips, silencing any protests she may have. He pulled away only to give her a few more pecks. Plaxum giggled softly before laughing more openly as he guided her into a twirl. The pair continued dancing to music only they could hear, unaware that a previously closed door was now ajar.

Florona sat behind her door in silence, watching them with a soft, fond smile through the crack.


End file.
